By Munir K. Nasser
Washington, DC
A State Department official flatly denied that US Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk has been recalled to Washington because he was in trouble with the State Department for the remarks he made on Jerusalem last week.
The official told Albawaba.com: “That’s ridiculous, Ambassador Indyk is here for previously scheduled consultations. His presence in Washington has nothing to do with his remarks on Jerusalem at Hebrew Union College.”
He stressed that Ambassador Indyk was not addressing the question of sovereignty, nor the various proposals that have been under discussion.
“He was only underlining that a way needs to be found to insure that the interests of all three religions are respected,” he said.
When told that Indyk actually was quoted as saying "there is no other solution. It is not, and cannot be the exclusive preserve of one religion," the official responded: “We are not going back to refute his comments, we want to make sure it is not misunderstood. He said the three religions are going to have to share the area.”
The State Department official, who asked not to be identified, also told Albawaba.com that the Clinton Administration does not have any plans to bring Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams to Washington this week. He was responding to senior Palestinian negotiator Nabil Shaath who said in Washington this week that the US is preparing a document that will serve as the basis for a fresh round of negotiations that could begin in the Washington area as soon as this weekend.
The official refused to comment on whether such a document exists, saying that routinely the State Department does not comment on any documents that may be under drafting.
When asked to comment on the cancellation by Israel of the talks with the Palestinians in Jerusalem, the official said no one should be surprised that this process will have its ups and downs. “If the Israelis called the time out, our expectations the discussions will resume shortly. But we certainly don’t have any plans to invite them to a formal setting here,” he said.
Shaath said in a speech in Washington that the next six weeks would be the crucial period to strike some form of an agreement, or to at least "achieve whatever possible."
He added, however, that a failure to achieve a deal before the end of October, when the Knesset comes back into session and President Bill Clinton's term enters its final weeks, would not be a "predetermined catastrophe."
Commenting on Shaath’s remarks, the State department official said that there are all kinds of calendars floating around. “How long will it take the Knesset to go through their parliamentary motion to vote Barak out? It could take up to early December,” he said. “Of course our problem is that we have the US elections coming up, and Congress will be going out of session, and the Administration beginning to change hands. And all of that will make it more difficult to press for an agreement.”
The official stressed, however, that it is not going to be the end of the world if it did not happen during the Clinton Administration.
“Arafat may or may not get the deal that he is going to get with Barak and Clinton. But it will certainly be harder for the Palestinians to get everything that they could now,” he explained, adding: “Even through the end of this administration into the next, there is really no choice for the Israelis and the Palestinians but to continue. They can either go back to war, or at some point they can reach a negotiated settlement. So no matter what happens here in the United States, those two choices will stay the same. Given Clinton’s involvement, and Barak’s willingness to compromise, this is probably going to be the best deal the Palestinians will ever get.” – Albawaba.com
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
